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Monday, February 04, 2013

Hey guys, so I've made the move to Tumblr! What this means for you...not much. The blog URL and links will all remain the same -- blog.a-common-thread.com --however, if you typically follow me on your Blogger dashboard, my new posts will no longer continue to pop up there. If you're on Tumblr, follow me!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

I've got a new DIY bow tie sewing pattern in the shop, that shows you how to make a skinny bow tie with a vintage style clip in the back. There's two different variations included in the patter: one for women when a long hanging tie, and one for men without the hanging tie. They are pretty quick and easy to make, with only a tiny amount of fabric, which makes them pretty addictive.

The pattern is based on the really cute vintage bowties that are super skinny and minimal. They sew up well with either a silky style fabric or nice cotton. I also like perusing the thrift store for shirts/pants/dresses made out of interesting fabrics that I can repurpose, since so little fabric is needed. They have been a good way to use up old fabric remnants I have laying around my craft room too.

The pattern is written for all skill levels, and covers all of the basics, like how to add a buttonhole. Also, I did some research on where to buy the bowtie clips and found that you can pick up a dozen of them for pretty cheap over at B. Black and Sons.

Friday, July 13, 2012

When I see things like this, it makes me want to rip my sleeves off and knit some new ones. Like I said yesterday, I love mixing media. I feel like tiny details like, 'oh yeah I sewed this dress, and knit the sleeves' make it EVEN BETTER than just handmaking something. Details are everything.

arabella ramsey fall 2012

In addition to adding some fun elements to an existing garment, I also came across this cap sleeve lattice top knitting pattern. Again, from purl soho. I swear I don't work for them, I just love all of their stuff! I feel like it's rare to find fashionable knitting patterns, and this one is done so well!

I could seriously live in this thing in the summer. The pattern looks pretty great, but I think that I would modify it to be knit in the round, to eliminate the seaming. I could also see a version of this in 2 colorblocked colors as well, or half in neon. So many options!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

I stumbled across this baby blanket pattern over at Purl Soho. I love the mixing of sewing and crochet! And this would be super quick and easy to make as a baby gift. Purl has the detailed pattern, but basically you just have to hem the edges of the blanket then crochet the border around, using 3 single crochets and chain stitch.

And while Purl recommends their fabric, which is fabulous, it's also pretty expensive. I researched some alternatives over at fabric.com and found some adorable flannel prints that would be perfect for a little baby. Here are some of my favorites. How adorable are those pink giraffes!! Ahh!

Edit: I just bought the giraffe fabric and will be picking up some yarn from purl next week. So excited to make this!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I've been trying to spruce up my apartment a little, and decided that my bedroom is looking pretty bleak in all black, white and gray. To add a bit of color, I figured it's about time to start my first, full sized quilt, and what better way to add color than use some pretty Liberty of London prints.

I went to peruse Purl Soho for some inspiration and they have these little Liberty bundles of fabric. I'm going to pick up the rainbow bundle, and supplement, if necessary, with some tiny busy prints that I pick up elsewhere.

I'm trying to decide on a final pattern for the quilt. I've been eyeing patches like the Oceans Wave, Flying Duchman, and Flying Geese. I'm probably going to use a muslin for the contrasting colors, paired with the Liberty prints to make it a soft beige to lighten up the room a bit.
I like the look of the finished Oceans Wave, which I stumbled upon on the Timeless Reflections blog. I'm still debating though, and put together an excel spreadsheet to quickly mock up some quilt patches, combining different ones in different arrangements. It's pretty neat and I'll post it soon....